Divided Supreme Court Overturns State Death Row Conviction

Because Bullins was a juvenile at the time of the offense, he was not eligible for the death penalty under constitutional standards governing juvenile offenders.

He ultimately received a 20-year prison sentence. Pitchford, however, faced capital murder charges and was sentenced to death following his conviction.

The Supreme Court’s latest ruling does not address his guilt or innocence, but instead focuses on whether the trial court properly handled allegations that black jurors were excluded from the jury in violation of Batson.